Wednesday, March 27, 2013

Not too long ago someone asked me if Lake Michigan is subjected to the high/low tides just as the ocean.
Well, I don't know the answer to the question but I'm inclined to think that it
is. What I can say for certain is that the wave action on the lakes can be as
powerful as that of the ocean. Look at these two images taken a few years apart. The
pier is still the same but the shoreline looks very different due to the significant amount of sand and gravel that has accumulated on top of the rocks along the shoreline.

Wednesday, March 13, 2013

Sitting on the southern bank of Salk Creek in Oakbrook is an
old brick mill dating back to 1852. The mill was built by German immigrant Frederick
Graue who settled in what was then Fullersburg, Illinois. Except for the
buhrstones, which were quarried in France, Graue constructed the mill using
material found in his farmstead or the nearby area. Limestone for the basement
was quarried in Lemont; much of the wood came from white oaks cut along the
I&M canal while the bricks were made using clay dug and fired in the farm.
The mill operated for seventy years, going out of business around 1910. While
in operation it was one of the stops of the Underground Railroad. Lincoln
supposedly visited the mill in one of his trips from Chicago to Springfield.

Salt Creek Dam

The current dam by the mill was built in 1935 by the
Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC). This is the fifth dam at this location, the
original one being built in 1837 to help power a saw mill. The dam is 6 feet
high and 130-foot wide. Its future is uncertain as it interferes with fish and
the upstream quality of the river.

Millrun

The mill is currently owned by the DuPage Forest Preserve and is still maintained in operating condition.

The images above where taken on two consecutive days after a snow storm blanketed the area. The full set of images are in the DuPage County Forest Preserves gallery on Manuel Diaz Photography.

A few notes for those wishing to photograph this historic mill:

the mill is in a heavily wooded area. During the warmer months, the mill is mostly hidden by the foliage.

the mill is right next to the road and a bridge. The bridge projects a shadow over Salt Creek and the grounds to the east of the mill during clear mornings. To avoid the shadow, photograph in late morning or on an overcast day.

in the evening, sunlight will hit the mill (and trees) until about 45 minutes before the sunset.

Wednesday, March 6, 2013

Although the title Poe’s Lighthouses may conjure images of the writings
by Edgar Allan Poe (after all, there is a book with this title), this blog
entry has nothing to do with the man behind The Raven. Instead, it focuses on
Orlando Metcalfe Poe, a name that to many will be unknown.

Orlando Metcalfe
Poe was born was born in Navarre, Ohio on March 7, 1832. He graduated from the
U.S. Military Academy in 1856 and fought in the Civil War. Poe was instrumental
in capturing both Atlanta and Savannah. Under orders from General Sherman, Poe destroyed
Atlanta by setting it on fire.

At this point you
may be wondering why we are talking about a man that inflicted so much
destruction. It is his legacy in the years that follow which fascinate many of us. After the Civil War ended, Poe became the Engineer Secretary of
the Lighthouse Board and eventually was promoted to Chief Engineer of
the Upper Great Lakes 11th Lighthouse District (1870), a position that came
with lighthouse construction responsibilities. During his tenure, Poe became associated with a
lighthouse tower design which became known as “Poe style” tower. This style consists of a tall
brick tower that tappers from bottom to top. The towers featured arch topped
windows and corbels.

Eight lighthouses
bear this style of tower, seven of which are pictured below:

New Presque Isle Lighthouse (1870)

South Manitou Island Lighthouse (1872)

Grosse Point Lighthouse (1873)

Au Sable Lighthouse (1874)

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Little Sable Lighthouse (1874)

Seul Choix Lighthouse (1895)

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Wind Point Lighthouse (1880)

The eight lighthouse is the Outer Island
Light (1874) on the Apostle Islands which is still on my list to visit.

Asides from his involvement with lighthouses, Poe also
was instrumental in improvements to several ship channels as well as the
engineering, design and supervision of a new lock at Sault St. Marie (Poe
Lock). While supervising the construction of this lock, he fell and fractured
several bones. While recovering from his injuries, he contracted what is
believed to be malaria and died on October 2, 1895. He is buried on Arlington
National Cemetery.